Thill-coupling.



No. 656,8II. Patented Allg. 28, |901).

w. G. CLINE @L w. R. HANDY. THILL CUPLING.

(Application filed Mar. 26, 1900.) (No Model.)

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Amm/ag' Unirrnn Sintes mirent PATENT WILLIAM G. CLINE AND VILLIAM R.I-IANDY, OF GALLATIN, MISSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 656,811, dated August28, 19'00. Application iiled Marcil 26, 1900. Serial No. 10,246. (Nomodel.)

To 65M w/wm/ it may concern.:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM G. CLINE and WILLIAM R. HANDY,citizens ofthe United States, residing at Gallatin, in the county of Daviess andState of Missouri, have invented certain newand useful Improvements inThill- Couplers; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in antirattlersfor thill-couplings, and especially to a device which may be easilyapplied to the axle-clip and held in place by means of a spring-catchengaging the end of theclip.

More especially the invention consists in the provision of a clip havingone of its arms hinged to allow the thills to be easilyattached to theclip and held on stationary pins, thus dispensing with the use ofremovable bolts, and the provision of a plate having flanged edges,which is designed to be held over the arms of the clip.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a springwhich is held against the end of the thill-coupling by means of linksconnecting the clip-engaging plate and the pivoted member carrying aspring catch, which latter engages the rear end of the clip on the underside of the axle.

The invention will be hereinafter described in detail and thenspecifically defined in the appended claims.

Our invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whichwith the letters of reference marked thereon form a part of thisapplication, and in which drawings similar letters of reference indicatelike part-s throughout the several views, in Which- Figure 1 is acentral vertical sectional View through our improved antirattler andthillcoupler. Fig. 2 is a perspective view show ing one of the arms ofthe clip, which arm is pivoted, swung open, and the retainingplates andantirattler removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view in perspective ofthe remember M at its hooked end M'.

taining-plates and spring-catch. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of theantirattler-spring.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates a clip, which is secured to the axle B in any snitablemanner, and is provided with two arms C and C', the former of which isintegral with said clip and carries a piu D at right angles thereto. Thesecond arm of the clip C' is pivoted or hinged to the clip, as shown,and is apertured, as at d', said aperture adapted to receive the end ofthe pin D after the apertured thill-iron E has been placed on said pin.On the inner face of the stationary arm of the clip is a lug or rib F,and on the upper surface of the bottom plate of the clip is a projectingpin G, behind which pin and rib or lug the antirattler-spring I-I isadapted to be held. The forward edge of the bottom plate of said clip isslightly upwardly inclined, as seen at A', while its rear end projectsbehind the axle a short distance.

The plate K, having flanged or angled ends K', is designed to rest uponthe upper edges of the arms of the clip, when the swinging arm is swunginto engagement with the end of the pin, said flanged or angled ends ofthe plate adapted to extend over the outer faces of the arms and hold"the swinging arm in a locked relation. To the underside of the plate Kare fastened the links L, which at their lower ends are pivoted to thelocking This member M has a rectangular aperture m therein provided toreceive the nuts N, which are carried on the threaded ends of the U-shaped bolts which pass over the axle. Said spring H has notches H' onits opposite edges in which the links L rest to hold said spring inplace between the arms of the clip. The nose of the member M, which isslightly curved, as shown at M', is designed to bear against the bentend of the spring, as illustrated, and to hold the spring against thethill-iron to prevent any rattling of the connected parts. The memberlll has a spring-catch R at its opposite end, which when the member isswung up against the under face of the clip caught over the rear end ofthe clip the IOO hooked end of the member M will engage over theupwardly-turned forward end of the clip and the nose M will force theantirattler-spring against the thill-iron. As the member M is 'swung upagainst the under face of the clip, the nuts N will serve to hold saidmember in place, as they will rest in said aperture m.

From the foregoing it will be noted that in removing the thill-iron fromthe clip the spring-catch at the end of the member M' is iirst releasedfrom the rear end of the clip, after which the plate K, having pivotalconnection with the member, may be removed, and with them theantirattler-spring, after which the hinged arm of the clip is allowed toswing open to allow the thill-iron to be removed.

It will be observedthat when the thill is coupled to the pin carried bythe rigid arm and the hinged arm swung over the end of the pin as thepivoted hooked 'member is swung back under the under face of the clipthe hooked portion of said member engaging over the projecting end ofthe clip will draw the flanged plate snugly down against the upper edgesof the arms of the clip, there being a cam action, the hooked portion ofsaid member being fulcrumed over the projection on the forward end ofthe clip. As the hooked member is released at its rear end the nose ofsaid member will slightly raise the flanged plate, thus allowing thehinged arm to swing laterally, whereby the thill may be uncoupled ordetached.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim to be new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. Athill-coupler and antirattler, comprising a clip having a rigid armand a hinged arm and pin carried by said rigid arm, a plateA havingflanged ends held on the upper edges of said arms, a member having aspring-catch having pivoted -link connection with said plate, said catchdesigned to engage over a projecting portion of the clip-and anantirattler-spring held by said member, as set forth.

2. A thill-coupler and antirattler, comprising in combination with theclip having the rigid and hinged arms the pin and thill-iron carriedthereon, the ribs and pin on the inner faces of arms and clip, theantirattlerspring held in place by said ribs and pin, the anged plate,the links secured to said plate, and engaging the opposite edges of saidantirattler-spring, the member pivoted to the lower ends of said links,the catch at the opposite end of the member, adapted to engage aprojecting portion of the clip, as set forth.

3. A combined thill-coupler and antirattler, comprising in combinationwith the clip the arms and flanged plate as described, the links securedto the latter, the hooked member pivoted to said links, theantirattlerspring having notches on its opposite edges and engaged bysaid links, the nose of said hooked member, adapted to bear upon theantirattler-spring as said member is swung into a locked relation, and acatch for locking the latter to the under face of the clip, as setforth.

4. A combined thill-coupler and antirattler, comprising a clip havingthe arms and pin as described, the antirattler-spring, the anged plate,the links secured thereto, the hooked member pivoted near its hooked endto said links, the curved nose on said member adapted to engage the rearface of the antirattler-spring, the hook to engage a projection on theclip, and a spring-catch at the opposite end of the member which catchis designed to engage a vrearwardly-projecting portion of the clip, asset forth.

5. A combined thill-coupler and antirattler comprising a clip having thearms and pin as described,the antirattlerspring, the plate and linkssecured thereto, the hooked member pivoted to the lower ends of saidlinks, the hooked portion of said member adapted'to engage over aprojection on the forward portion of the clip, the nuts on theclip-retaining bolt held in an apertured portion of said member, and aspring-catch at the end of the latter engaging a portion of said clip,as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM G. CLINE.

- WILLIAM R. HANDY.

Witnesses: l I-IUsToN Y. TARWATER, A. TARWATER.

